As if the launch issue of Men’s Vogue, which hits newsstands today, was not enough of a harbinger, signs everywhere point to a renewed interest on the part of men regarding their appearance.

Sales of men’s apparel grew 11 percent to $9.5 billion last year, the first annual increase since 2000, according to the Census Bureau. Sales for the January-June period of this year are up 21 percent, compared with the same period a year ago.

Designers are launching new menswear collections, some of which will be on display later this week, when Olympus Fashion Week gets under way.

Narciso Rodriguez, famed for his figure-hugging clothes for women, is said to be quietly working on his first menswear collection.

Menswear designer John Bartlett is relaunching a sportswear collection this spring, after a hiatus of nearly four years. And David Chu of Nautica fame is designing a men’s line under his own name, which will debut this fall at Saks Fifth Avenue.

“There’s a sense of newness and excitement” in men’s dressing, Chu said. “After so many years of dressing down, men are interested in dressing up.”

David Wolfe, creative director for the Doneger Group, called the resurgence in menswear no less than revolutionary, a trend that is indicative of changing social norms and gender roles. Then he paused, and not one to take the whims of fashion too seriously, added: “Men have always dressed for power,” now they are dressing to attract women.

The hunger for new fashion by a gender that tends to favor power drills over the latest prints is not relegated to the runways. Kohl’s has been so encouraged by a recent upturn in men’s apparel sales that it began adding to its offerings, beginning with the introduction of suit separates last spring.

At Abercrombie & Fitch, sales of men’s clothing now account for a greater mix of the total, some 38 percent, than they did in 2000, when the chain sold 34 percent of its clothes to men, said spokesman Tom Lennox.

The market for women’s clothes is nearly four times bigger than for their male counterparts, and women tend to not only buy more, but to shop more frequently than men, analysts said. But that too is changing.

“Guys used to have one pair of black shoes and one pair of brown shoes,” said the designer John Varvatos. “Today, they are becoming more like women, especially when it comes to shoes.”

Men had tired of shopping after years when stores offered little that was new besides timeworn khakis. That started to change about 18 months ago, when woven shirts in bright colors and bold stripes became all the rage. Some forecasters have wondered weather there will be enough newness in fashion this season to keep men coming back for more.

Designers, such as Jerry Kaye, of Perry Ellis, say that fine-gauge knit sweaters, polo shirts and Henleys are set to replace woven shirts as the uniform du jour.

Varvatos will show fine-gauge cashmere sweaters that have been dipped dyed, and button-down jersey shirts, perfect when worn under deconstructed blazers, another look that is expected to be hot this year.

Also significant is that men seem willing to spend money on the new looks. Kenneth Cole is rolling out a new collection for men with price points that are twice as high as the original line. When testing the collection in its own retail stores last year, Paul Blum, the president, said he was surprised that the higher prices didn’t discourage male shoppers.

“It’s remarkable,” he said, “that men are willing to pay much higher prices than they traditionally would for fashion.”